Method of making journal bearings



G. R. COLEMAN METHOD OF MAKING JOURNAL BEARINGS Original Filed Oct. 19, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTO EY.

y G. R. COLEMAN 2,164,902

METHOD OF MAKING JOURNAL BEARINGS Original Filed Oct. 19, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [j :E f, I22! INVENTOR. BY W M ATTO EY.

Patented July 4, 1939 I 2,164,902

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF MAKING JOURNAL BEARINGS Gilbert R. Coleman, Cheektowaga, N. Y.

Original application October 19, 1936, Serial No. 106,458.- -Divided and this'application May 29, 1937, Serial No. 145,418

Claims. (01. 29-1495) This invention relates in general to improve- Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially ments in bearings and, while it has more paron the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; ticular reference to journal bearings used on Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 1 of a modified railway rolling stock, it will be apparent that cerform of bearing; and

5 -'tain features of the invention have other and Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken substantially 5 more general applications. The instant case is onthe line 44 of Fig. 3. a division of my co-pending application, Serial Referring more particularly to the drawings, No. 106,458, filed October 19, 1936. reference numeral N indicates the body portion As is pointed outmore specifically in my coof a non-rotary member of a journal bearing,

pending application, Serial No. 67,063, filed commonly called the'brass, which may be of lo March 4, 1936, that portion of a journal bearing any-desired form and is preferably cast from some which is most affected by the heat generated dursuitable alloy. The body portion I I is provided ing the operation thereof is the bonded surface with a lower concave surface I2 to which is applied 1 between the main body portion and the lining a lining I3 of Babbitt or other suitable material,

this bonded surface, the latter above-mentioned face I2 after it has been tinned or soldered so application provides separate conduits extending that it will adhere firmly thereto.

through the bearing adjacent said surface, which Formed in the lower surface I2 of the main serve as passageways for the automatic circulabody portion II, by machining or by being cast secured thereto. To insure effective cooling of which is applied in the usual manner to the sur- I6 'tion of lubricating oil through the bearing from therein, are a plurality of transverse grooves or the inbound to the outbound side of the journal. channels I4 interconnecting at their central These conduits are constructed of a material portions with a longitudinal channel or groove which is impervious to the action of the lubri- I5. Any desired number of these grooves I4 may eating oil, and are arranged so that there is subbe provided and they-are preferably spaced in stantially no possibility of the lubricating oil parallel relationship to each other and extend 25 coming in contact with the bonded surface becompletely across the lower surface I2. The tween the main body portion and the lining. grooves I4 and I5 are preferably substantially These latter features are employed because the semi-circular in cross-section, with the. central lubricating oil has a deteriorating action on the longitudinal groove I5 of somewhat larger diam- :icsolder or other bond employed and will cause eter than the transverse grooves I 4. the latter to disintegrate with a consequent fail- In the form of journal shown in Figures 1 and ure of the bearing. In the parent case above- 2, a unitary assemblage of interconnecting closed referred to, the provision of an oil cooling resertubular members, indicated generally by refervoir in such a bearing adjacent the central or ence numeral I6, is positioned within the grooves :25 :cro-wn portion of said bonded surface is disclosed, l4 and I5- Th s assemblage I6 preferably comwhich communicates with said conduits and is p s a central tu H which is positioned withso formed as to substantially eliminate the csin the t d al groove I5, d a plurality of sibility of the lubricating oil coming in contact laterally extending curved tub es formed with the bonded suriaca tegrally with and communicating with the cen- M A princip a1 object of this invention is the tral tube I1 and adapted to be positioned within 4U the transverse grooves I4. As shown in Figure vision of a novel method of manufacturing and repairing such a journal bearing. 1, the transverse tubes I3 are disposed within alternate grooves I4 on opposite sides of the cen- Numerous other objects and advantages of the tral tube 1 While this arrangement is invention will be apparent as it is better undern Othe unable on m stood from the following description, which iflat i s cle sired. The tubule: es s i fiig e l g i s when taken in connection with the accompanypr ferably formed of metal tubing Such as ing drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment per although any other Suitable material which thereofis impervious to the action of the oil used for n the drawlilgs, lubricating the bearing, and shape may be em- 5 gu e 1 is a bottom p View Of journal ployed. The outer ends of the tubes I1 and I8 bearing made in accordance with the instant inare closed. vention with part of the lining broken away to The tubular assemblage I6 may be positioned show the conduits mounted in the grooves in in the grooves I4 and I5 either before or after the concave surface of the main-body portion; the'surface I2 is tinned. The lining I3 is then 55 molded or otherwise secured to the main body portion II to maintain the tubular assemblage IS in place. Those portions of the grooves I4 which are not filled by the tubes 18 will function as additional retaining means for the lining, since the latter will fill any such portions of the grooves, as will be seen particularly in Figure 2.

The lower surface of the lining i3 is formed to substantially conform to the upper portion of the usual journal I?! (shown in broken lines in Figures 2 and 4). A pair of longitudinally extending grooves or channels 2! are machined or molded in this lower surface of the lining I3, and terminate short of the ends of the lining as best seen in Figure 1, although they may be extended to either or both ends of the lining, if desired. Referring to Figures 2 and 4, the channels 2! are preferably curved in cross-section to provide a fish hook shaped inner surface, the deepest portion of which is at the upper part of the channel while the lower part of the channels terminates at a point which is spaced a short distance away from the outer surface of the journal I9. The particular shape of these channels 2| and their function are more specifically described in my co-pending application above referred to, Serial No. 67,063. An aperture or bore 22 communicates between the upper portion of each groove or channel 2| and each of the tubes l8. These bores. 22 are preferably drilled through the lining l3 and into the conduits or tubes i8 as a final step in the manufacture of the bearing.

The modified form of bearing shown in Figures 3 and 4 is identical to that above described, with the exception of the particular type of conduits employed. In this modification, transverse tubes 23 are used which are .similar to the tubes I8. Instead of the central longitudinal tube 11, however, a longitudinally disposed plate member 24 is employed. The tubes 23 are positioned in the grooves l4 with their centrally disposed ends, which are open, terminating within the central groove l5. The plate 24 is shaped to conform to the contour of the curved surface 12 and is placed so as to completely cover the central groove 15 and the open ends of the transverse tubes or conduits 23. The tubes 23 and the plate 4 may be secured together in any suitable manner if desired to form a unitary assemblage somewhat similar to the tubular assemblage I6. However, the members 23 and 24 may be separately placed in their positions in the grooves l4 and over the groove I5, respectively. As in the case of the assemblage l6, these parts may be so positioned either before or after the surface I2 is tinned. The lining I3 is then molded or otherwise secured to the body portion H to maintain the members 23 and 24 in place. In this modification the bores 22 communicate with the tubes 23 in the same manner as with the tubes Hi.

In this type of journal bearing, lubricating oil is supplied to the outer surface of the journal 19 in the usual manner by means of saturated waste disposed within the journal box (not shown) and contacting the lower surface of the journal, although any other means of supplying a lubricant may be employed if desired.

In the operation of the bearing, rotation of the journal I9 will carry oil into the channel 2! at the inbound side of the journal. The oil will be collected in this inbound channel and will be forced through the associated apertures 22 into the tubes or conduits l8 or 23, and thence into the central longitudinal reservoir provided by the tube II in the one modification and the groove 15 and plate 24 in the other modification. From these central cooling reservoirs the oil will flow through the opposite tubes or conduits l8 or 23 into the channel 2| at the outbound side of the journal and be carried by the latter downwardly to the waste referred to.

This circulating action of the lubricating oil will effectively cool the bearing while assuring uniform distribution of the oil. The provision of the centrally disposed longitudinal cooling reservoir in the bearing materially adds to this cooling effect in an obvious manner, and results in a certain amount of the oil being retained therein when the journal is not in operation.

The above described arrangement of the tubular assemblage I6 and the members 23 and 24 is such that there is substantially no possibility of the lubricating oil coming in contact with the bonded surface l2 between the main body portion H and the lining l3. In this manner the deteriorating action of the lubricating oil on the solder or other bond employed is effectively prevented.

In the relining of the bearing, the removal of the lining 13 by use of heat or the like will remove the members IE or 23 and 24 from the main body portion II. The addition of a new lining to the body portion will therefore be a relatively simple matter, and as is the case in the initial manufacture, the problem of keeping the lining metal from clogging the conduits will not be presented.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. The method of forming an oil circulating passageway through a journal bearing, comprising cutting a groove in the lower concave surface of the main body portion of the bearing, positioning a closed hollow tube of a material which is impervious to the action of the oil in said groove, tinning said concave surface, casting a lining portion onto said tinned concave surface over said tube, and drilling apertures through said lining portion into said tube.

2. The method of making a journal bearing, comprising forming a brass with a lower concave surface having a plurality of transversely extending grooves therein, positioning a closed hollow tube in each of said grooves of shorter length than said grooves, securing a lining to said brass by casting the same in contact with said concave surface, whereby said lining will maintain said tubes in place and will fill those portions of said grooves not occupied by said tubes to increase the mechanical strength of the bond between the lining and the brass, and forming apertures extending upwardly through said lining into communication with each of said tubes.

3. The method of making a journal bearing, comprising casting a main body portion having a concave surface with a longitudinally extending groove and a plurality of transversely extending grooves therein, positioning a tubular assemblage in said grooves comprising a longitudinally disposed hollow tube and a plurality of transversely disposed hollow tubes interconnecting therewith,

molding a lining portion to said concave surface of said body portion which will hold said tubular assemblage in place, and drilling apertures through said lining portion into each of said transversely disposed tubes.

4. The method of making a journal bearing, comprising forming a main body portion having a concave surface with a longitudinally extending groove and a plurality of transversely extending grooves interconnecting with said longitudinal groove formed therein, positioning a plurality of hollow, open ended tubes in said transverse grooves with the open ends thereof extending into said longitudinal groove, positioning a longituditudinal groove, molding a lining portion to said concave surface of said body portion which will hold said tubes and said plate in place, and drilling apertures through said lining portion into each of said tubes.

5. The method of making a journal bearing, comprising casting a main body portion with a concave surface having a plurality of grooves therein, positioning an arcuate conduit in each of said grooves, separately casting a lining portion onto said main body portion over said conduits to rigidly secure said lining and said conduits to said body portion, and drilling apertures through said lining portion into communication with said conduits.

GILBERT R. COLEMAN. 

